by Terry Spear
“And me.”
“You’re a civilian now and you’ve undoubtedly been through this yourself before—”
“Certainly.”
“Well, you can hand a tissue to me on the other side of the gas warfare room.”
“I’ll be right by your side—the whole way through.”
She smiled at him. She really had to like the guy!
Shortly after they arrived, both Deidre and Dave were given gas masks. After ensuring they fit properly, they walked into the small room.
The sergeant motioned to them. “Now if you’ll please pull off your masks.”
Deidre really hated having to remove the mask to show how effective it was in gas warfare. Her eyes teared, and tears began running down her cheeks.
“You may now leave the room.”
She coughed convulsively for several seconds once she left the gas-filled room. She knew the mask worked. Why did she have to keep pulling it off in a gas-filled room to prove it?
Dave rubbed his eyes and she smiled.
“You know, Dave, you’re a pretty good sport to have around. Think I might keep you for the week after all.” At this rate, she wished she could keep him for the rest of her tour at Fort Hood.
“Only a week?”
“Since it’s all your newspaper editor will allow you, guess it’ll have to do.”
“You don’t really seem to like it here much, Deidre.”
“No. I’ve loved all of my training posts and my first assignment at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. But I really don’t like it here.”
“Maybe you should think of getting out.”
“Can’t. Pays too good and I like the Army, just not my current boss or this assignment. Surely when you were on active duty, you had jobs like this.”
“Once. Maybe you need a transfer.”
Deidre laughed. “That’d be the day. I’ve only been here a year. They wouldn’t transfer me that soon.”
***
The notion Deidre hated her job so bothered Dave. He’d been there before himself, and didn’t want to see her so unhappy. Once he solved the problems with her brother, he’d make every effort to pull some favors and get her reassigned. And he had just the place to move her. Fort Meade, Maryland. Located only minutes from his condominium. He smiled inwardly. Yeah, he’d take care of her all right.
Early that evening, Dave followed Deidre home. He had every intention of enjoying dinner with her, if Charlie wasn’t home. Otherwise, she intended to visit with her brother alone.
He knew she needed to. Only he needed to be with her also. He loved everything about her and realized all at once how empty his life really had been without her in it. Though he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, how could he when he lived a lie about who he really was and why he lived there in the first place? More than anything else in the world, he wanted to tell her the truth. But could she handle it? He envisioned getting replaced instantly by Bill.
His secret would have to remain so for a little while longer.
***
After parking their vehicles at the apartment complex, Dave quickly met Deidre at her car. She pointed to Charlie’s truck, noting his disappointment as his brow wrinkled slightly.
“I know you talked of supper, but that was only if Charlie wasn’t home. And I really haven’t had a chance to have a word with him.”
Dave nodded and walked her to their landing. She could tell he wasn’t happy about the situation, but it would just have to be. He kissed her briefly on the lips before she hurried into her apartment.
She really liked Dave. He was so much fun to be around and work today had actually been enjoyable, only because of him. But she was so worried about Charlie, she was having a difficult time thinking of much else.
Once she closed her front door, she said, “Charlie, we’ve got to talk.”
He sauntered out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand. “A little later—”
“No, now!”
She was determined to find out what her brother had been up to. A clinking in the kitchen made her turn in that direction.
Marilyn walked out of the kitchen with a mug in her hand. “Coffee, sweetie?”
Instantly, Deidre felt her temper rising. She needed to talk to Charlie—alone!
“Uh, no, thanks.” Deidre hastened to her room and slammed the bedroom door. The woman was a leech—a real parasite. Cool down, think, Deidre.
She tore off her Army uniform and slipped into shorts, shirt, and sandals and stormed out of the room. “I’ll talk to you later, Charlie, when we can do it—alone.”
The woman eyed her, looking a little concerned. Why? Because Deidre had her number?
Whoever this woman was, she just toyed with him—certainly not in the market for real estate, commercial or otherwise. She was after something else, Deidre was certain. But what, she hadn’t a clue.
An evening at the mall would be the best bet, but not in Killeen. Temple. She liked it best. They had a Mexican restaurant right next door. A movie theater. Maybe by the time she got home, Ms. Whatever-Her-Real-Name-Was would be gone and Deidre could finally sit down and talk to Charlie.
Deidre got in her car and took off.
Interstate 35 was crowded with traffic for early evening. Irritated, she concentrated on a Mustang zipping in and out of traffic. Won’t make if very far in life, she thought.
A van tailgated her for a while and she applied her brakes. He backed off, then drove around and shot her the finger.
“Jackass,” she said back.
A travel trailer pulled out of her lane in front of her to pass a truck, and she winced as the gravel from the truck flew into her windshield. She glanced into her rearview mirror to check for traffic before she tried to pass.
The black-haired man stared back at her, his white teeth gleaming as he smiled a malicious grin. She shuddered involuntarily. His nose sported a bandage and his raccoon eyes were colored black and blue still from her bout with him on her balcony.
Quickly she glanced into her backseat. There was no one there. Her heart pumped so hard, it was ready to explode.
She knew then…he was coming for her with murderous intent.
***
Dave walked out of the shower and heard banging on his door. After running for the door, he peeked out of his peephole. Marilyn’s face was darkened with concern. He pulled the door open, and she glanced down at the towel wrapped around his waist and smiled.
“I kind of like this look—”
“What do you want, Marilyn?” He hurried back into his bedroom.
She shut the door and followed him. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you—”
“I was showering. What’s up? Aren’t you kind of blowing your cover?”
“Deidre took off to God knows where. Before I could stop him, Charlie chased after her.”
“Jeez, Marilyn.” Without drying off, he hurried to pull his shirt on. “Did you call the state police?”
“Yes, I’ve given them the description of their vehicles and their license plate numbers. Bill and the others are searching, too.”
“Give me a sec to dress.”
She smiled at the towel still wrapped around his waist. “Not bad.”
He had known it might come to this…his losing sight of Deidre for even a moment, could spell trouble. He chided himself for not having joined her in her apartment after work. Maybe he could have diffused the confrontation between Marilyn and her. He figured Deidre wanted to talk with Charlie about his past…alone, and Marilyn had interfered. Marilyn worked great with the guys, but with women, she just grated on them.
He envisioned Deidre’s long blond hair draping over her shoulders the morning they had breakfast together. If that’s how she looked falling out of the bed in the morning, he could handle it. Those blue eyes of hers just dared him to take the relationship further. And he would…if he hadn’t already lost her for good.
Dave pushed Marilyn out of his room and closed t
he door part way. “Which way did they go?”
“Charlie thought she might have gone to the Killeen mall.”
“Why didn’t you stick with him?”
“He wanted to go alone. He knew he needed to talk with her, and well, I don’t have my own vehicle here. He just took off and I was stranded. Then I couldn’t get you to answer the door—”
“They’ve got another one of Charlie’s former coworkers,” Dave growled.
“Dead?”
“Tombstone.”
“That makes the boss and two of his employees—”
“Yep.” Dave pulled on his boots, then rushed out of the apartment. His stomach churned with concern. He just had to get to her before they did if they had a mind to hurt her. Whoever they were.
“I know you’re worried about her, Dave, but she seems pretty self-sufficient.”
“She’s not tough like you, Marilyn. If these guys get a hold of her, well, she wouldn’t stand a chance.”
***
Deidre scolded herself. She should have stayed in her apartment and kicked Marilyn out instead. No, then Charlie would have gone, too. It didn’t really matter. Whatever lay ahead for her was hers to deal with—alone.
She wandered around the shopping mall for an hour, then had a meal of tacos at the restaurant next door. Nothing like having a supper out for one. A fast-paced thriller at the local theater killed another two-and-a-half hours. Already approaching 10 P.M., she figured it was time to call it a night.
Interstate 35 always had traffic, no matter the time of day or night. The main artery shooting down from Dallas to San Antonio was the fastest way to travel at speeds of 70 mph most of the way along the route. Though sometimes she took back roads to avoid the traffic and when bad accidents occurred when inattentive or drunk drivers plagued the interstate. Tonight, the back roads wouldn’t do.
Raccoon man watched her from her rearview mirror again, his eyes narrowed with hatred. If she had to face him, she’d rather someone see her plight.
A pickup truck drove close, so close she couldn’t see his lights. “Get off my tail, jerkoid.”
She tapped her brakes to get him to back off, but he bumped her rear bumper slightly. The impact gave her a jolt. It was him and she was going to have a fight on her hands. A Grand Am against a pickup would never win. For that matter, most cars couldn’t hold up against a truck.
She braced herself. If she made it out of this alive, she’d be really lucky.
When she tried to slow down, he bumped her again, only harder this time. She clenched her teeth as the skin of her hands prickled.
She kept her eyes on the road. No need to look back. His face was wrinkled up in hatred as he glowered at her. She saw it clearly in her mind. She couldn’t see if he had a weapon though. Heck, his vehicle was deadlier than any weapon he could have.
She glanced at the mirror. He was pulling around her. What was he doing? Trying to unnerve her? Or waiting for just the right moment?
Her eyes riveted forward. Looming dead ahead hovered a concrete overpass. At the speed she was driving, she’d never make it if he forced her into it.
She swerved for the exit ramp at the last second, her tires squealing with the maneuver. He whipped his truck around to stop her. She turned to avoid hitting him. Racing to get past the concrete arch, she attempted to outdistance him before he could slam her into it.
His truck plowed into the left rear of her car. Bang! She struck the guardrail with a grating roar and sailed toward the concrete.
In an instant, the dark night turned brilliant white. The grass, cement arch, the dark, everything completely disappeared.
Then the night turned black again as the brilliant white airbags deflated, collapsing against the dash and steering column. Her foot floored the brake. The rear tires blew with a bang. Inches away from the concrete looming dead ahead, her car jerked to a stop.
A fine white mist poured out of the engine into her lap as she sat dazed. A figure yanked at her driver’s side door without success. She stared at him uncomprehending.
He ran around the front of the vehicle and yanked the passenger’s door open. His blackened eyes glared back at her full of hatred. Then he smiled.
Every exposed white tooth gleamed with menace.
Chapter 9
Dave spied Charlie at one of the department stores at the Killeen mall and hurried to intercept him. “Charlie, Marilyn informed me you left her at your place and came here in search of Deidre.”
Charlie glared at him.
“I was worried. Marilyn said you stormed out of there like you thought Deidre might be in some kind of danger. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”
“The mall. She always goes to the mall when she needs to cool her heels.”
But they’d searched the mall and there was no sign of her.
“Somewhere else then? It’s been hours and we’ve searched everywhere. And now the mall’s closing.”
“We?”
“Marilyn tagged along.” He pointed to her as she walked into the store.
Charlie stared at the floor, then shook his head. He looked up at Dave. “Unless…unless she went to the mall in Temple.”
“Okay.” Dave turned on his heel and hurried out of the store, leaving Marilyn with Charlie.
After pulling his phone off his belt, he punched in several numbers. “Bill, notify our men to search the Temple mall.”
“By the time we get there, it’ll be closed,” Bill said.
Dave didn’t respond. Bill knew he had to search the area around the Temple mall next, if it was closed by the time he got there.
“We’ll get right on it, Dave.”
A twist of guilt sprang up in Dave’s gut as he jumped into his truck. He just had to find her safe and sound.
***
“Hey!” a man shouted from behind Deidre’s vehicle. “We’ve got the police on their way!”
The raccoon-eyed man’s mouth clamped shut in a scowl, then he vanished from her sight.
“Hey, miss, are you all right?”
Deidre’s neck hurt something fierce as a sharp pain radiated across her back. Was she all right? She didn’t have a clue.
“Miss, we can’t get your driver’s door open. There’s smoke filling the car. Give me your hand, and I’ll pull you through the passenger’s side.”
The raccoon man didn’t kill her after all. She smiled.
“Miss! Give me your hand.”
The shattered windshield hung in sections still raining to the floor in chunks. Her eyes burned. She had glass in her eyes and her mouth…down her shirt even. She stared at the deflated bags.
“Pull her out of there, if you can. She’s in shock.”
Deidre moaned as a man’s hands wrapped around her arm and tried to ease her out.
“Wait, I’ve got to get her seatbelt unbuckled.”
Her seatbelt clicked open. A man’s firm grip grabbed her arm again, and she groaned. Her upper back arched with pain.
“Did someone call for an ambulance?”
“Here it comes.”
Deidre rubbed her eyes. “I’ve got glass in my eyes.” Her eyes teared up. She shivered uncontrollably.
“Don’t rub them, miss.”
The glass burned and tears ran down her cheeks. Her whole body shook as the man pulled her over the console. “I’ve got glass in my mouth.”
He pulled her from the car and led her to his parked vehicle. She sat in the man’s sports car. Lights flashed in colorful patterns all around her in the dark.
“Miss, your name?”
Somebody handed her bottled water. She rinsed out her mouth and spit on the ground, then reached up to wipe away the tears.
Hands dissuaded her. “Don’t rub your face, miss.”
The uniformed cop hovered over her. “Your name, miss?”
“Where do you hurt?” someone else asked.
“My back hurts. I can’t turn my neck without it hurting.” She stared at tiny
glass cuts on her hands and the slivers of blood dotting the skin. Her hands shimmered, decorated in crystal.
“Miss, we’re going to place a collar around your neck.” She nodded.
“Don’t move your neck. Just sit still. We’ll do everything.”
“Here’s her purse, Officer.”
“Did you strike your head? Were you wearing your seatbelt? Miss, what’s your name?”
She ground her teeth on the glass. Her mouth—it was still full of glass.
“The glass.” She didn’t want to swallow. Would it cut her insides up?
“We’re going to lay you on a board. It’s not going to be comfortable, but it’ll keep you still so they can check for spinal injuries at the hospital.”
The police officer leaned over her. “Are you Captain Deidre Roux?”
She didn’t want to talk. Her body shivered nonstop. The glass was gritty between her teeth. She tried to nod but the vice they had strapped her into precluded that. Her neck and back filled with pain. The backboard made it worse.
The police officer scribbled on his pad, then stuck her driver’s license back in her purse. “Can you tell us what happened?”
“He tried…he tried to kill me.”
“She’s in shock.” The paramedic and another lifted her into the ambulance.
“Hey, Milton,” a policeman said. “This is that car those pesky agents were looking for.”
She heard their words but like everything else, nothing made sense.
“Well, let ‘em know we got the woman. She’ll probably be transferred to the military hospital. She’s got military ID, she’s an Army officer probably stationed at Fort Hood.”
“Right.”
Deidre gritted her teeth and clenched her hands as the ambulance pulled onto the interstate. Every little twist and turn sent jolts of pain through her back and shoulders making her head hurt something awful.
“When we get you to the hospital, they’ll take some x-rays. The police are leading the way. One of the officers needs to get a statement from you still,” the paramedic said.
“He tried to kill me.”
“Should we run the sirens?” the driver asked.
“No.” He jerked his finger at his friend. “New at the job. He likes to run the sirens whenever he can.”
